If you’ve taken a stroll or driven past the Erie Canal in Fairport, you can’t miss the latest development going up along the waterfront.
A five-story, high-end condominium project is going up on Parker Street, but these new Residences at Canalside aren’t sitting well with everyone.
Frank Deil’s backyard backs up to the Erie Canal in Fairport – with what used to be a million-dollar view.
“Now I gotta look at the back of a building where I could see the canal before, with the boats going up and down, people walking,” said Deil.
Now, a multi-million dollar, 48-unit condominium community sits here, preventing Frank and his neighbors from seeing any sign of the water.
“It’s a shame,” Deil said. “It was beautiful back here, but now, we won’t see nothing really, but the back of this building.”
Despite neighbors’ concerns, the village of Fairport held several public hearings, and in the end, gave the developer, Riedman Companies, the go ahead to build.
“Anytime you bring change in a community, in the real estate development realm, it’s impossible to get 100% buy-in from all stake holders in any given community,” said David Riedman, president of Riedman Companies. “So, that’s certainly the case here. There were certainly voices of disagreement.”
Riedman says his company prides itself on a design that will keep with the look and feel of the village, and that out of 48 available units, half are already sold.
“Because of its location in the village of Fairport, along the canal, it’s an exciting place to live,” said Riedman. He also noted that the low-maintanence condo lifestyle caters to empty nesters and young professionals
As for Frank, he’s now considering selling his wife’s home – along with a view several generations once enjoyed.
Future residents are already set to move into the new condos, which are priced starting at $300,000, by the end of this year. For more information on the Residences at Canalside, visit their website here. You can also check out a drone video of the development, shot by Alexandra Guinane, here.
